1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal box for an electric or electronic device such as a solar battery module and to a method of providing it.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solar energy generation system supplies direct-current electricity from a solar battery panel on the roof of a house to electric equipment via an inverter or the like. The solar battery panel has a plurality of solar battery modules, and electrodes of the solar battery modules are connected in series or in parallel via terminal boxes.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H11-26035 discloses a terminal box that has two terminal plates juxtaposed on a base plate. Ends of the terminal plates at one side are connected with positive and negative electrodes drawn out from the underside of the solar battery module. The other ends of the terminal plates are connected with cables for external connection. A bypass diode spans between the two terminal plates. The bypass diode shorts an inverse current when there is an inverse load from one cable for external connection to the other. A lead wire of the bypass diode is soldered to the corresponding terminal plate for electrically connection and is placed fixedly on the base plate via a mounting pin that projects from the base plate.
Heat generated in the bypass diode of the above-described terminal box is likely to remain in the bypass diode without being smoothly discharged. Thus, the diode function can be impaired by excessive temperature increase.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to improve heat discharging characteristics.